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Ethelred of Wessex
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ethelred I | |
|---|---|
| King of Wessex | |
| Reign | 865-871 |
| Born | c840 |
| Wessex, England | |
| Died | 23 April 871, Wimborne. Dorset |
| Buried | Wimborne |
| Predecessor | Ethelbert of Wessex |
| Successor | Alfred the Great |
| Consort | Wulfrida |
| Father | Ethelwulf |
| Mother | Osburga |
King Ethelred I (Old English: Æþelræd) (c. 840 – April 23, 871) was the fourth son of Ethelwulf of Wessex. He succeeded his brother, Ethelbert of Wessex, as King of Wessex and Kent in 865 [1] [2]. He married Wulfrida and had two sons, Aethelwold being the elder and Aethelhelm being the younger. Ethelred I was not able to control the increasing Danish raids which devastated England. On January 4, 871 at the Battle of Reading, Ethelred suffered a crushing defeat, although he did hand the Danes a Pyrrhic victory. Soon after, however, Ethelred was able to re-form his army in time to win a stunning victory at Ashdown. However, he suffered another defeat on January 22 at the Battle of Basing and was killed at the Battle of Merton on April 23, 871.
Ethelred is buried at Wimborne in Dorset. Following his death, he was popularly regarded as a saint, but never canonised. He was succeeded by his brother, King Alfred the Great. (See House of Wessex family tree.)
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Ethelred of Wessex
Born: c. 837 Died: 23 April 871 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ethelbert |
King of Wessex 865–871 |
Succeeded by Alfred the Great |
| King of Kent 865–871 |
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| Family information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Egbert of Wessex | Ethelwulf of Wessex | Ethelred of Wessex |
| Redburga | ||
| Oslac | Osburga | |
| unknown | ||
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